The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-05-05
cLEvELANp'S FAcTOTUM.
A Bit of Spicy Gossip About Colonel L
mont and His Family.

A Bit of Spicy Gossip About Colonel La
mont and His Family.
The Lannon'S" as the private sec
rotary and his wife are often termed.
are very near the family or home life
of the President. Their two little girls
are. the only youngsters who have,
from time to time, made children's
racket in the White House during the
present Administration. Colonel and
Mrs. Lamont's first stay in Washington
was at the Arlington. A few months
later, when Miss Cleveland went TO
New York for a visit, the President
had his private secretary and family
keep him company. 1t was his wish
that the children should be at the
table, No doubt they diverted and
amused him. But their mother, prob
ally, knowing too well the antics of
little people, after a few days decided
they should be left to the care of their
nurse. One day she went into the
state dining-room. hearing their voices
there, and found them seated at the
table eating their dinner, and as much
at home as if rsed to the solemn.
formal room, and not in the least
abashed by its lonesome grandeur.
The President enjoyed it, and declared
the children should go on taking their
meals at the state board as long as
they wanted to, and in this way the
state dining-room was first opened by
President Cleveland. the little Lamont
girls being the first guests. Colonel
Lamont has house on l street, at the
West End, where General Townshend;
General Butler and other army fami-
lies reside. l think it is a fur
nished house, but there is much
of their own bric-a-brac, max
ing it very attractive. Crayon
portraits of the President and Mrs.
Cleveland have conspicuous places on
the easels in the drawing-room. 1t is
said the President doubled the salary
of his private secretary, the original
pay being $500, and, of course, paid
by Government. If this be true Colonel
Lamont receives $1,000 year, half of
it from the Presidents own purse, and
the highest salary ever paid to pri-
vate secretary in the White House.
As his duties are quite double those of
former secretaries there is no reason to
doubt that Colonel Lannon'S salary is
now but one thousand short of a Cabi-
net officers salary. 1t would not be a
difficult thing to fill the vacancy if a
Cabinet officer resigned. There are
plenty OF men out of the Cabinet quite
as able and faithful as the men in it.
But the President might scour the cOun-
try over and not find another Colonel
Lamont.
The private secretary's duties extend
to the private part of the White House,
and indeed it would be hard TO say just
where they begin and where they end.
1t is Colonel Lamont who writes letters
for the President and attends to his
correspondence. In this he does the
work of the private secretary. But it
is Colonel Lamont also who receives
crowds of people-mostly office
seekers-talks with them and disposes
of them, thus relieving the President of
half the worry and nagging inflicted by
the hundreds who are bent on serving
their country in some position or other.
1t is Colonel Lamont who is daily,
hourly interviewed by the press of the
land, and not the President. 1t need
hardly be added that the press in the
Presidents hands would not always
come out so smiling and self-satisfed,
for it is Colonel Lamont who is perfect
in the art of giving Information, but
who never in any possible instance
''gives himself away. - Washington
Cor. Boston transcript.